


first

by Liryczna



Category: Shards of the Sun
Genre: Gen, I'm proud, Illiteracy, Letters, he is making progress, more or less holding hands, this is something Leo wants but has to work up to
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-28
Updated: 2017-02-28
Packaged: 2018-09-27 09:18:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 454
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9996797
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Liryczna/pseuds/Liryczna
Summary: Leo stayed, and now Nil started to worry.





	

When everybody else was gone, even Cosimo, dragged to his room to rest, and Oswald, who looked like he was going to collapse any second, Leo was still there. Nil noticed the way he froze when Cosimo gave him the letter, but did not think much of it, focused on what was being said. Besides, knowing that Flick and Fyr and Cyn were safe took priority in his mind, as it should, and then he was passed his own letter, addressed to them all, and Nil would be damned if he did not keep it, stashed with the others in the chaos of his desk, even if the letter from Fyr was already in his hands. He took a hold of the other one again, after Steffit and Gin reluctantly returned to work, and Ivia wrangled her father onto the stairs. But Leo stayed, and now Nil started to worry.

  
“Leo, are you alright?” he asked, approaching him carefully, noticing once again how his hands shook, trembling fingers holding the paper with utmost care. Nil resisted the need to reach and maybe keep them in his own hands to calm Leo down. It was a bad idea, he knew. Still, refraining was hard as well, especially when Leo turned his gaze at him, visibly distressed. “Is there anything wrong?”

 

“N-no, no, it’s just... M-my first letter? I-I mean, I wa-want to read it, b-but...”

  
Nil just blinked.

  
“Well, it’s from Cyn, right? If you’ve met her only a few weeks ago, she didn’t have a lot of occasions to write to you, did she?” He fell silent for a moment and tried to think. “Maybe she could have left you notes, or something. Do you like those? I think they are nice, especially those pretty ones, you know, colourful and maybe cut by hand, and-”

  
“N-no, Nil, no. I did not mean only from Cyn, it’s... First one?” Leo swallowed, nervously, his eyes almost desperately seeking both support and understanding. “I never got any letters before.”

  
Now it was Nil’s turn to freeze as his brain processed the words slowly, finally getting the right answer, just as Leo stepped even closer, visibly excited.

  
“What do you mean the fir-“

  
“C-can you please help me read it?” Interrupting, Leo handed him the letter, nimble fingers slipping the paper into Nil’s palm, and staying, warm on the back of Nil’s hands. “I never really learnt how, but I want to know what it says, and... W-well, i-if you are busy, I’ll understand.”

  
It was hard to hide his surprise, but Nil managed, barely, and only smiled. His grin widened when he saw Leo blush, but not step away.

  
“No, it would be my pleasure to help.”


End file.
